Duquesne Light Company Rate Hike and Colder Winter Push Heating Bills Higher

Duquesne Light Company customers face 12% higher bills this winter. Rate hike increases monthly energy costs as Pennsylvania braces for cold season

PITTSBURGH, PA, UNITED STATES, January 7, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- 10 Year High Electric Rate Puts Families At Risk

UtilityRates.com warns customers that the Duquesne Light Company Price to Compare rate increase will drive monthly electricity bills up by at least 12% this winter. With December running 8% colder than the ten-year average, DLC customers may face even steeper energy bills than originally anticipated.

Duquesne Light Company raised its default rate for non-shopping customers by 10.6% on December 1, 2025. The hike pushes the average supply charge higher for households in Pittsburgh. Ratepayers could see these charges rise from $97.54 to $110.00 per month. The situation is compounded by NOAA's forecast of a colder, wetter winter in Pennsylvania, which will drive up electricity usage for Pittsburgh consumers.

According to the National Energy Assistance Directors Association (NEADA), struggling families in the Pittsburgh area could pay as much as $130 more this winter for electricity. As a result, they risk going deeper into debt with their utility due to high heating bills.

Key Takeaways
1. Starting in December, the monthly supply charge for an average home using 854 kWh will be about $110.00. That's roughly an increase of $12.46 compared to November.
2. Because DLC customers typically use more power during the winter, monthly supply charges could increase by $10 or more.
3. When combined with monthly DLC distribution charges, winter electric bills in Pittsburgh are likely to surpass $200 per month.

What DLC Customers Can Do
DLC customers are no stranger to their utility raising default electric prices. According to PA PUC filings, their price to compare doubled over the past decade, going from 6.7502 cents per kWh to the current 13.75 cents per kWh. That's an increase of 103.7%.

To find relief from these constantly rising Pittsburgh electricity rates, UtilityRates.com urges Pittsburgh customers to shop and compare retail electric suppliers to find the lowest-priced, fixed-rate plan available.

Choosing fixed-rate plans, especially 12-month or longer options, allows DLC households to lock in today’s rate for a full year. That's important because new PTC rates kick in on June 1, 2026. These rates will include the PJM Capacity Auction rates and could lift Pennsylvania electricity rates another 1.5%-5%. Shopping plans now protect customers from both winter price spikes and next summer’s possible increases.

“Another Duquesne Light Company PTC (Price To Compare) rate hike is something Pittsburgh consumers are understandably tired of,” says Karl Trollinger, CEO of Electricity Ratings. “Even as Pennsylvania’s energy market adapts to shifting supply and demand, customers still hold the ability to choose their electricity supplier. When they navigate big price swings like this, we can help them identify the best available plans.”

UtilityRates.com also warns DLC customers that their chance to claim federal energy tax credits has expired. However, Pennsylvania electric customers can still find rebates and discounts to help with home energy upgrades through their local utility.

UtilityRates.com is a website operated by Electricity Ratings, LLC.

Electricity Ratings, LLC operates a network of energy shopping websites serving 17 states and 56 utilities, providing our energy comparison and ratings service to over 80 million customers. We provide our customers with the power to choose the best providers through our consumer reviews platform which provides a reliable, unbiased source of valuable consumer insight. And we back that up by offering in-depth energy company service analysis, personalized recommendations, and practical advice. Our mission is to help consumers harness the power of information to find, compare, and buy electricity and energy services from the best providers.

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Vernon Trollinger
UtilityRates.com
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